The present invention relates to a speaker array apparatus for a surround system which is able to install freely in the installation location.
FIG. 1 is a view showing an example of a surround sound field produced by a conventional surround system. Conventionally, a surround system in which a surround sound field is provided by a simple configuration is proposed. For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, a technique of a speaker apparatus is disclosed that sound emission timings of speaker units of a speaker array 101 are adjusted to form plural sound beams, and the sound beams are reflected by the wall of a room, whereby a realistic surround sound field can be produced in the periphery of a listener U (for example, see Patent Reference 1).
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1B, a technique relating to a sound field signal reproducing apparatus is disclosed that frequency characteristics calculated on the basis of a head-related transfer function are given to sounds of respective channels so as to virtually localize a sound image in the periphery of the listener U, and a pair of speaker units 111, 113 that are placed in front of the listener U emit sounds of plural channels toward the listener, whereby a virtual surround sound field can be produced in the periphery of the listener U (for example, see Patent Reference 2).
[Patent Reference 1] JP-B-3205625
[Patent Reference 2] JP-B-2966181
In the apparatus which produces a realistic surround sound field by means of sound beams, the sound beams are reflected by the wall of a room. When an obstacle is existed in the reflection path of the sound beams, or when a wall which reflects the sound beams does not exist, consequently, there is a case where a surround sound field cannot be properly produced.
In the apparatus which produces a virtual surround sound field, by contrast, a surround sound field is virtually produced on the basis of a head-related transfer function, and hence a space where a surround sound field can be provided is very narrow. Therefore, the listening position is limited.